What to Call Your Substack
Boring or hilarious… cryptic or practical… choosing a name for your publication is stressful!
Hi!
In the past week I’ve met a bunch of other Substack writers - something I love to do. I especially love meeting people who are at the beginning of their Substack journey.
Two big questions I hear over and over: “What will I write about?” and “What should I call my Substack?”
Does a Substack publication even need a name?
Substack publications are special because they are both traditional newsletters and a website with an archive of past newsletters. Having a Substack publication is like having a newsletter and a website all at once.
The publication’s name appears at the top of the publication's web pages and posts.
The name also forms part of the publication’s URL (its online address).
When you set up a publication, the first name you pick also becomes part of its URL — its online address. It’s easy to change the name and description of a publication at any time. However, there are some restrictions to changing the URL of a publication, so it is a good idea to start with a name that you intend to use for the long term.
Using your own name as your publication name
When you first set up a publication, Substack might prompt you to use your own name. This is the easiest option but is not the best option.
Use your own name if you already have a public audience who knows and likes you. For example, if you are a well-known journalist from traditional media, an entertainer, successful novelist, celebrity or sportsperson, then using your own name is a great idea.
Do not use your own name if you don’t already have an established audience.
Do not use your own name if you are setting up your Substack primarily to create a viable business that you might one day want to sell.
What makes a good publication name?
A good publication name is connected to the subject matter.
Try to find a name that has a connection to your topic or niche. Readers use publication names to get a sense of the subject matter. For example, if you stumbled across a publication called Pies, you would probably think it is about food. If the publication turned out to be about graphs, charts and data, you would be disappointed or confused and unlikely to subscribe.
A good publication name is memorable.
If you’ve got something exciting to write about, use an exciting name. If you are writing about a topic that is more serious, such as a business or professional newsletter, your publication’s name can be more serious. However, even with a ‘serious’ newsletter, it is still okay to use something with a little personality or quirkiness. This is how you stand out from the crowd.
For example, instead of calling your ‘serious’ publication “How to Use Excel Spreadsheets at Work” you could call it “Marvellous Spreadsheets”.
Titles that have something slightly quirky or unusual will attract more attention among a list of publications. A boring title makes potential readers think your content is boring too.
A good publication name does not include the words “My”, “I” or Your Name (unless you are already famous).
When someone sees your publication for the first time, its name is one of the first things they encounter. Casual visitors won’t click through to read your content if they don’t think there is something in it for them.
A publication that is called “My Thoughts”; or “The Times of My Life”; or “My Poetry”; or “I Like Fishing” does not promise anything for a potential reader. Why would they want to read a stranger’s thoughts or memories?
Instead of using “My” or “I” in your publication’s name, choose a name that addresses the type of reader you want to attract or includes a promise to your potential readers.
For example, instead of “I Like Fishing” you might call your publication “Come Fishing With Me”. This promises the reader a voyeuristic journey into the world of fishing.
Instead of “My Thoughts” you could call your publication “Thoughts from a Fifty-Something Trapeze Artist”, which shows that you are both fifty-ish and somewhat unconventional. Instead of “The Times of My Life” you could try “Remembering the 1980s”, which will appeal to other people who have fond memories of that era.
The aim is to excite people’s interest and let them know a little about you or your topic.
Remember, if casual visitors are not interested enough to read any of your posts, they will never find out how wonderful your work is.
Contrarian view! Lenny Rachitsky started his newsletter with no subscribers and never having written publicly before. He broke all the rules for naming a publication and called it simply “Lenny’s Newsletter”. Four years in he had 500,000 subscribers and is one of the top five largest newsletters on Substack. As he says “Friggin’ bonkers”.
My secret method for finding memorable publication names
Now that I have scared you by telling you how important it is to choose a good name for your Substack publication, you might be wondering how you will find a name that is memorable and ‘on topic’.
I recommend you start with a brainstorming session. It’s fine to do this on your own but even better with friends.
Brainstorm a list of words that are related to your topic, your audience and you. Find at least 60 words for your list. Include anything that comes to mind, don’t censor or discard any words even if they seem silly — the more words the better. Don’t stop until you have 60 keywords.
Then go online and find two free business name generator sites and two free band name generator sites. Start throwing your keywords into these online tools and see what comes out. If you like a particular combination, make a note of it and add it back to the generator to see what other variations appear.
Make a short list of two to ten potential names, set them aside and return to them a day or two later to see which still resonates with you. You can also ask social media followers or writer’s groups to help you choose.
Business name and band name generators are more likely to give you unique results — names that no one else is using — compared to using an AI writing tool like ChatGPT.
Advice from the trenches
Macy Lu of Macy Sees The World says she changed her publication name to “give people a clearer idea of what my newsletter is about (travel).”
Here are the questions she recommends you ask yourself when choosing a name for your publication:
- Does it clearly communicate the purpose of the newsletter?
- Does it inform people about the niche you write in?
- Does it flow and is it memorable?
- Is the name available as a social media handle?
Final thoughts
Publication names appear on Substack web pages and posts. A good name will help entice casual visitors to read your content. Many of the most successful publications have a title that is both memorable and related to the subject matter.
It is easy to change a publication’s name at any time. However, the first name you choose becomes part of your Substack’s URL, and changing URLs later is not simple, so choosing a good name at the beginning will make your Substack journey easier and more rewarding.
That’s it for this week’s newsletter.
If you have any tips for publication names, be sure to share them in the comments.
Have a fabulous week,
Karen
Good suggestions. I think my title is good, so far as it goes, because it's distinctive and has some nuance (it's meant to be kind of funny, but not really, because there is a very serious side to recovering from an academic exit). My main worry is that it's a little too narrow, but I suppose this is true of all newsletters. Precision will necessarily push some readers away, who don't think they'll find anything to like if they aren't academics.
Portals to the Past - I decided to go with alliteration and synonym for my publication title, and hope the header image does the rest until readers glimpse the About page - if they get that far.
In truth, despite History not being a hot topic, I'm thinking conjuring a title for my forthcoming fiction publication will be a much more difficult enterprise.
Thanks for the post. It's most helpful.